Cooling appliance with interior lift

ABSTRACT

A cooling appliance is disclosed herein. The cooling appliance includes a chest defining a cavity and an opening to the cavity. The cooling appliance also includes a lid operably engaged with the chest and moveable between a first position in which the lid covers the opening and closes the cavity and a second position spaced from the first position. The cooling appliance also includes at least one storage structure disposed in the cavity. The cooling appliance also includes a lift disposed in the cavity and operable to move the at least one storage structure out of the cavity when the lid is in the second position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to cooling devices such as freezers and refrigerators and, more particularly, to arrangements for positioning storage structures within cooling devices.

2. Description of Related Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,461 discloses a bottom mount refrigerator having an elevating freezer basket. The '461 patent discloses a refrigerator including a cabinet within which is arranged an upper fresh food compartment and a lower freezer compartment. A freezer basket is slidingly supported in the freezer compartment, preferably for concurrent movement with a freezer door. The freezer basket is coupled to a lifting mechanism that selectively shifts the freezer basket from a first or lowered position to a second or raised position in order to facilitate removal of items from the freezer basket. The lifting mechanism can be formed by a mechanical, electrical or pneumatic system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In summary, the invention is a cooling appliance. The cooling appliance includes a chest defining a cavity and an opening to the cavity. The cooling appliance also includes a lid operably engaged with the chest and moveable between a first position in which the lid covers the opening and closes the cavity and a second position spaced from the first position. The cooling appliance also includes at least one storage structure disposed in the cavity. The cooling appliance also includes a lift disposed in the cavity and operable to move the at least one storage structure out of the cavity when the lid is in the second position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description set forth below references the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

A plurality of different embodiments of the invention is shown in the Figures of the application. Similar features are shown in the various embodiments of the invention. Similar features have been numbered with a common reference numeral and have been differentiated by an alphabetic suffix. Also, to enhance consistency, the structures in any particular drawing share the same alphabetic suffix even if a particular feature is shown in less than all embodiments. Similar features are structured similarly, operate similarly, and/or have the same function unless otherwise indicated by the drawings or this specification. Furthermore, particular features of one embodiment can replace corresponding features in another embodiment or can supplement other embodiments unless otherwise indicated by the drawings or this specification.

The invention, as demonstrated by the exemplary embodiments described below, can provide a lift system for use in cooling appliances such as chest style freezers. This lift and possible storage would allow for easy access to all of the contents of said freezer. Specific embodiments of the broader invention may be incorporated into new appliances and may also be retro-fitted into existing or used appliances.

One or more embodiments may use any available means of mechanic, pneumatic, electric, hydraulic, scissor, cable, pulley, spring, counterweight, magnetic, manual, gear, belt, screw, chain or other means of operation. One or more embodiments may be utilized in domestic, retail, commercial, medical, industrial, or other operating environments. One or more embodiments may be constructed of any structurally viable material which may include metals, plastics, or others.

One or more embodiments may comprise a system of shelves, racks. drawers, canisters or other system of storage. Said storage systems may be of any size or arrangement which would allow for large oversized items. One or more embodiments may be used in unusual sized chest freezers which would allow for easier use and access. Such size considerations may be a lower height for access by wheelchair bound individuals, or a taller arrangement which may be as tall as five feet or taller, such as for use by hunters, farmers, fishermen or others with larger than normal freezer requirements.

One or more embodiments can function rapidly to minimize losses of cooling. One or more embodiments can be activated by a hands free sensor, or any other method of activation. One or more embodiments may incorporate a safety system to immediately stop motion in the event of a jam which may have been caused by ice build-up, clothing, fingers, or other such obstacles. Other design considerations would be to have reasonably close clearances to the freezer walls, top and bottom so as to maximize the freezers storage volumes.

One or more embodiments can be easy to maintain, replace, or add to. One or more embodiments can include a hinged lid that may be attached to a frame of the lift, rather than the traditional method of being attached to the frame of the Freezer. This may allow for an easier operation by the end user. Traditional hinging methods would also work with various embodiments of the broader invention.

One or more embodiments may include a compressor that can be temporarily suspended while the lift is in use to prevent overloading electrical circuits. Once the lift is no longer being used, the compressor could automatically revert to thermostatic control. One or more embodiments may incorporate manual structures for raising/lowering it in the event of either an electrical or mechanical failure or outage. Further the storage compartments (drawers) could be built such that the bottoms could be lifted allowing access the items in the lower racks in the event of an electrical outage.

In one or more embodiments, there could be advantages to having the lid as part of the lift. With this there would be nothing behind the lift to get hung up on, and an individual with a disability or in a wheel chair would not have to ‘reach up’ to open or close anything. Upon closing the appliance, the lid would simply re-seal itself to the body of the freezer with the lift in the fully closed position. This advantage would also hold true for an able-bodied person who may have their hands full of grocery bags etc. The lift activation switch would be on the exterior of the freezer.

A cooling appliance 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The cooling appliance 10 includes a chest 12 defining a cavity 14. In FIG. 1, the chest 12 is shown in phantom. An opening 16 allows passage into and out of the cavity 14.

The cooling appliance 10 also includes a lid 18 operably engaged with the chest 12. The lid 18 is moveable between first and second positions. In the first position, the lid 18 covers the opening 16 and closes the cavity 14. The first position can be characterized as the “closed” position of the lid 18. In the second position, the lid 18 is spaced from the first position. The second position can be characterized as the “open” position of the lid 18. It is noted that the second position need not be an extreme position or an end-limit of travel for the lid 18. The lid 18 is shown in FIG. 1 in an exemplary second position.

The cooling appliance 10 also includes at least one storage structure 20 disposed in the cavity 14. The at least one storage structure 20 can be operable to contain and/or support items stored in the cooling appliance 10. Examples of storage structures 20 include, by way of example and not limitation, a tray, a drawer, and a basket. In FIG. 1, the exemplary storage structure referenced at 20 is a drawer.

The cooling appliance 10 also includes a lift 22 disposed in the cavity 14. The lift 22 is operable to move the storage structure 20 out of the cavity 14 when the lid 18 is in the second position. It is noted that the lifting action need not occur in sequence, after opening 16 the lid 18. In various embodiments of the broader invention, the lid 18 might be opened before the storage structure 20 is moved out of the chest 12, or opening 16 of the lid 18 can occur concurrently with movement of the storage structure 20.

A second alternative embodiment of a cooling appliance 10 a is shown in FIG. 2. The cooling appliance 10 a includes a chest 12 a defining a cavity 14 a. An opening 16 a allows passage into and out of the cavity 14 a.

The cooling appliance 10 a also includes a lid 18 a operably engaged with the chest 12 a. The lid 18 a is moveable between first and second positions. In the first position, the lid 18 a covers the opening 16 a and closes the cavity 14 a. The first position can be characterized as the “closed” position of the lid 18 a. In the second position, the lid 18 a is spaced from the first position. The second position can be characterized as the “open” position of the lid 18 a. It is noted that the second position need not be an extreme position or an end-limit of travel for the lid 18 a. The lid 18 a is shown in FIG. 2 in an exemplary second position.

The cooling appliance 10 a also includes at least one storage structure 20 a disposed in the cavity 14 a. The at least one storage structure 20 a can be operable to contain and/or support items stored in the cooling appliance 10 a. Examples of storage structures 20 a include, by way of example and not limitation, a tray, a drawer, and a basket. In FIG. 2, the exemplary storage structure referenced at 20 a is a drawer.

The cooling appliance 10 a also includes a lift (not visible) disposed in the cavity 14 a. The lift is operable to move the storage structure 20 a out of the cavity 14 a when the lid 18 a is in the second position. It is noted that the lifting action need not occur in sequence, after opening 16 a the lid 18 a. In various embodiments of the broader invention, the lid 18 a might be opened before the storage structure 20 a is moved out of the chest 12 a, or opening 16 a of the lid 18 a can occur concurrently with movement of the storage structure 20 a.

A third alternative embodiment of a cooling appliance 10 b is shown in FIG. 3. The cooling appliance 10 b includes a chest 12 b defining a cavity 14 b. An opening 16 b allows passage into and out of the cavity 14 b.

The cooling appliance 10 b also includes a lid 18 b operably engaged with the chest 12 b. The lid 18 b is moveable between first and second positions. In the first position, the lid 18 b covers the opening 16 b and closes the cavity 14 b. The first position can be characterized as the “closed” position of the lid 18 b. In the second position, the lid 18 b is spaced from the first position. The second position can be characterized as the “open” position of the lid 18 b. It is noted that the second position need not be an extreme position or an end-limit of travel for the lid 18 b. The lid 18 b is shown in FIG. 3 in an exemplary second position.

The cooling appliance 10 b also includes at least one storage structure 20 b disposed in the cavity 14 b. The at least one storage structure 20 b can be operable to contain and/or support items stored in the cooling appliance 10 b. Examples of storage structures 20 b include, by way of example and not limitation, a tray, a drawer, and a basket. In FIG. 3, the exemplary storage structure referenced at 20 b is a tray.

The cooling appliance 10 b also includes a lift (not visible) disposed in the cavity 14 b. The lift is operable to move the storage structure 20 b out of the cavity 14 b when the lid 18 b is in the second position. It is noted that the lifting action need not occur in sequence, after opening 16 b the lid 18 b. In various embodiments of the broader invention, the lid 18 b might be opened before the storage structure 20 b is moved out of the chest 12 b, or opening 16 b of the lid 18 b can occur concurrently with movement of the storage structure 20 b.

In one or more embodiments, a plurality of storage structures can be used, each being moved out of the cavity by the lift. FIG. 1 shows a frame 24 that can be applied to support the plurality of storage structures 20, 26, 28 for concurrent movement out of the cavity 14 by the lift 22. The frame 24 supports the plurality of storage structures 20, 26, 28 for individual movement relative to the frame 24. The exemplary storage structures 20, 26, 28 can be individual drawers that can be individually pulled open from the frame 24.

In one or more embodiments, the plurality of storage structures can include first and second storage structures that are differently configured from one another. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which a first storage structure 20 b is a tray and a second storage structure 26 b is a drawer. Specific embodiments of the invention of the broader invention can be practiced with more than two different kinds of storage structures.

FIG. 3 also shows an embodiment in which a frame 24 b defines one of the plurality of storage structures. The exemplary frame 24 b defines the tray 20 b and also supports the storage structure 26 b. A frame in one or more embodiments of the invention could define more than one storage structure and support multiple storage structures.

In the first exemplary embodiment, the lift 22 is an hydraulic lift and is disposed beneath the frame 24 in the cavity 14. In one or more embodiments of the broader invention, the lift 22 can be an hydraulic lift 22, an electric lift 22, a mechanical lift 22, a pneumatic lift 22, a magnetic lift 22, and a manual lift 22. The exemplary lift 22 includes a pair of hydraulic cylinders 30, 32. Upon expansion, the cylinders 30, 32 expand a scissors-like frame 34. Expansion of the frame 34 results in rectilinear, vertical movement of the frame 24 and the storage structures 20, 26, 28 out of the cavity 14.

Refraction of the cylinders 30, 32 allows the frame 34 to contract under the weight of the frame 24, the storage structures 20, 26, 28, and any items being stored. It is noted that other lifting arrangements could be applied in other, specific embodiments of the broader invention. For example, four electronic, worm-screw drives could be individually positioned at each corner of the cavity 14.

FIG. 1 also shows, schematically, a power system for the lift 22. A motor 34 can be operable to selectively deliver pressurized fluid to the cylinders 30, 32. A sensor 36 can be operable to sense a rate of movement over time of the at least one storage structure 20 and emit a movement signal corresponding to the rate of movement over time. In the first exemplary embodiment, the sensor 36 can sense movement of the storage structure indirectly, directly sensing movement of the frame 24 which supports the storage structure 20.

The sensor is desirable to detect when movement is deterred or prevented. A motion sensor is applied in the exemplary embodiment, but other kinds of sensors could be applied, such as a sensor detecting how much power is being drawn by the motor 34 or a Hall effect sensor.

A controller 38 electronically communicates with the sensor 36 and is operable to receive the movement signal. The controller 38 is further operable to control the lift 22 and change the operation of the lift 22 in response to the movement signal. The controller 38 can control the motor 34 to deliver or withhold pressurized fluid to/from the cylinders 30, 32. If the movement signal is indicative of an obstruction in the path of movement of the frame 24 (and therefore the storage structure 20), the controller 38 can direct the motor 34 to deliver pressurized fluid to the cylinders 30, 32 to stop downward movement so that the obstruction can be cleared.

The controller 38 can also be operable to monitor an amount of power drawn by the motor 34 of the lift 22 and correlate the amount of power to the movement signal. For example, an obstruction deterring upward movement would cause the motor 34 to deliver greater power to force movement. The controller 38 can include an internal memory having a table correlating a plurality of rates of movement with a plurality of amounts of drawn power. Thus, if the power being delivered by the motor 34 is not consistent with the rate of movement detected by the sensor 36, the controller 38 can direct the motor 34 to cease delivery of pressurized fluid to the cylinders 30, 32 (or hold in place) to stop upward movement so that the obstruction can be cleared.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the lid 18 can be moved out of the first position in response to movement of the at least one storage structure 20 (such as through the frame 20 which supports the storage structure 20). The exemplary lid 18 is hingedly engaged with the chest 12 and acts as a cam follower and the frame 24 acts as a cam such that the lid 18 is moved out of the first position in response to movement of the frame 24. A roller or bearing can disposed at the rear corner of the frame 24. During movement of the frame 24, such a roller or bearing could ride along an inside surface 40 of the lid 18.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the exemplary lid 18 a is fixedly associated with the at least one storage structure 20 a such that the lid 18 a moves out of the first position in response to movement of the at least one storage structure 20 a by the lift. The lid 18 a moves with the storage structure 20 a. The lid 18 a is separable from the chest 12 a. The lid 18 a is fixed to a frame 24 a such that the lid 18 a moves out of the first position in response to movement of the frame 24 a by the lift and moves with the frame 24 a. The lid 18 a thus moves rectilinearly, vertically up and down. When the exemplary lid 18 a is in the first or closed position, the exemplary cooling device 10 a has the appearance of a traditional chest-style freezer.

FIG. 3 shows the desirable aspect of at least some embodiments of the broader invention whereby a person with a disability can utilize a full-sized cooling appliance. The user controls can be disposed on a pad 42 b. Pressing a first button 44 b can cause the frame 24 b to be moved out of the cavity 14 b. Pressing a second button 46 b can cause the frame 24 b to move downward, back into the cavity 14 b. The extent that the frame 24 b projects out of the cavity 14 b can be variably controlled, such that the user can access the storage structure 20 b, 26 b, 28 b holding the desired content.

A traditional chest-freezer is about three feet tall. One or more embodiments of the invention could have a height of about twenty-four inches. This could be desirable for a person a wheelchair. Such an embodiment may have two rows of drawers and no top shelf. One or more embodiments of the invention may have three rows of drawers, with three drawers on the top row, two on the middle, and one large one along the bottom. Shorter embodiments may have only two rows, with three drawers along the top, and then two on the bottom.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Further, the “invention” as that term is used in this document is what is claimed in the claims of this document. The right to claim elements and/or sub-combinations that are disclosed herein as other inventions in other patent documents is hereby unconditionally reserved. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooling appliance comprising: a chest defining a cavity and an opening to said cavity; a lid operably engaged with said chest and moveable between a first position in which said lid covers said opening and closes said cavity and a second position spaced from said first position; at least one storage structure disposed in said cavity; and a lift disposed in said cavity and operable to move said at least one storage structure out of said cavity when said lid is in said second position.
 2. The cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein said lid is further defined as being moved out of said first position in response to movement of said at least one storage structure.
 3. The cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein said lid is further defined as fixedly associated with said at least one storage structure such that said lid moves out of said first position in response to movement of said at least one storage structure by said lift.
 4. The cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein said lid is further defined as operably associated with said at least one storage structure such that said lid moves as a cam follower out of said first position concurrently with movement of said at least one storage structure out of said cavity by said lift.
 5. The cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein said at least one storage structure is further defined as: a plurality of storage structures, each being moved out of said cavity by said lift.
 6. The cooling appliance of claim 5 further comprising: a frame supporting said plurality of storage structures for concurrent movement out of said cavity by said lift.
 7. The cooling appliance of claim 6 wherein said frame is further defined as supporting said plurality of storage structures for individual movement relative to said frame.
 8. The cooling appliance of claim 6 wherein said frame defines one of said plurality of storage structures.
 9. The cooling appliance of claim 6 wherein said lid is further defined as hingedly engaged with said chest and acts as a cam follower and said frame acts as a cam such that said lid is moved out of said first position in response to movement of said frame.
 10. The cooling appliance of claim 6 wherein said lid is further defined as fixed to said frame such that said lid moves out of said first position in response to movement of said frame by said lift.
 11. The cooling appliance of claim 6 wherein said lift is disposed beneath said frame in said cavity.
 12. The cooling appliance of claim 5 wherein said plurality of storage structures includes at least first and second storage structures differently configured from one another.
 13. The cooling appliance of claim 12 wherein said first storage structure is a tray and said second storage structure is one of a drawer and a basket.
 14. The cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein said at least one storage structure is further defined as one of a tray, a drawer, and a basket.
 15. The cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein movement of said at least one storage structure is further defined as rectilinear.
 16. The cooling appliance of claim 15 wherein movement of said at least one storage structure is further defined as only vertical.
 17. The cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein said lift is further defined as one of an hydraulic lift, an electric lift, a mechanical lift, a pneumatic lift, a magnetic lift, and a manual lift.
 18. The cooling appliance of claim 1 further comprising: a sensor operable to sense a rate of movement over time of said at least one storage structure and emit a movement signal corresponding to the rate of movement over time; and a controller electronically communicating with said sensor and operable to receive the movement signal, wherein said controller is operable to control said lift and change the operation of said lift in response to said movement signal.
 19. The cooling appliance of claim 18 wherein said controller is further defined as being operably to monitor an amount of power drawn by said lift and correlate the amount of power to the movement signal.
 20. The cooling appliance of claim 19 wherein said controller is further defined as including an internal memory having a table correlating a plurality of rates of movement with a plurality of amounts of drawn power. 